I’m on a mission this year: spend $80 or less per week on groceries for my family of four! After reconciling all our expenses for 2009, all the while remembering the splurges during a special family celebration and replenishing of food storage, I realized I could and would do better in 2010. With the skills I’ve obtained, and the deals on some web sites I’ve recently discovered, “I hereby pledge to lower my food budget this year!”

I’m a savin’ machine! I made five stops for groceries this week, stocked up on some frozen lunches for #2, some chicken and meal fixin’s for the family, and got some other great deals.

Aldi: Gallon milks are still $1.49. I found fresh loaves of oat bran bread (the kind I usually buy, anyway) for just .65!!! I got five, which should last a month (frozen). I got my usual staples, an annual refill on salt (a whopping .33), and some produce. I also found, but did not include in the food bill, vinyl shower curtains for $3.99, and they look substantial. BTW, I can rarely find a better deal on TP, paper towels and freezer bags than at Aldi.

Target: Woo-HOO! Hormel precooked entrees (I got two Apple Bourbon Pork Chops) for $4.49 – $1.50 coupons — these are terrific to have on hand when the schedule starts to get wanky and the chef starts to get stressed and forgetful. Not that I ever would. $2.99 for the main part of a meal — this is my price point. Also, Hebrew National kosher franks (the Best, IMHO), lots of varieties (I got two reduced sodium), for $2.44 – $1 coupons. I keep FOGETTING to use my $5 GC (this order would have been FREE), but I vow to do so next week. I did manage to bring in, use, and get credit for my own reusable bags this time.

Baker’s: Since I don’t like going in there, I make my trips quick. (The meat/seafood department is foul-smelling, and the store is just not comfortable.) That said, I found two packages (for one meal) of top round steak for 2.55 total on quick sale. Three-pound bags of IQF chicken for 3.99. And 32-ounce cans (the big ones) of coffee for $3.99! I forgot my reusable bags, though.

No Frills: I didn’t spend $10, so I didn’t get the eggs. I did get more Farmland sausages .91 (11/$1) – .55 coupons. Jennie-O turkey meatloaf $2.99 (again, handy for the freezer). I also got a nice Blockbuster Express FREE DVD coupon. Those are the new blue kiosks that dispense videos at the front of the store, like the Red Box ones. I forgot my reusable bags again.

Also, today my wonderful DH brought me a Bag N Save coupon for $1.50 off my next order, which he got when he bought some fruit bars to keep at work. Yay! Cheap Thrills for sure.

It’s a lot to keep tabs on, this kind of shopping. As you see, I don’t always do The Best, with the bags and the GCs. But I absolutely AM staying under budget.

This week I spent $57.68 of my $80 budget, leaving me with another $22.32 to add to the surplus. (Running total = $57.74 under budget.) This is so awesome! The amount I’ve saved in three weeks is more than what I’ve spent during either of the last two weeks. February is National Frozen Food Month, and there will be specials, with coupon deals. I may take a set amount from the surplus just to take advantage of as many super deals as I can.